


under the starry skies

by asennnaa



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Lance is good, Minor Angst, Mostly Fluff, Pidge is a little sad, background allura/lotor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 17:45:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14383785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asennnaa/pseuds/asennnaa
Summary: It was under the stars on the roof of his new school where he had seen her for the first time. He’d never forget the way her eyes lit up with curiosity and amazement at the celestial bodies above. He’d never forget how beautiful the sight truly was...





	under the starry skies

**Author's Note:**

> My VLD Exchange Gift for [justpidgance](http://justpidgance.tumblr.com)! Sorry this was a little late, it's been a little hectic. Anyway, here's this AU I cranked out and I really hope you and anyone who reads this enjoys! 
> 
> Much love to my beta, Ellie, for editing and hearing out my ideas for this!

It was under the stars on the roof of his new school where he had seen her for the first time. He’d never forget the way her eyes lit up with curiosity and amazement at the celestial bodies above. He’d never forget how beautiful the sight truly was...

Hunk was passed out, the lights were ordered to be out at 9:30, and no one was allowed to leave their dorms until at least 7:30 the next morning. But rules were always optional in Lance’s book and honestly, he wasn’t planning on sneaking out or anything of the sort. He just wanted to explore a bit on his own. 

The campus of the Galaxy Garrison was beautiful, putting it mildly. It was one of the many reasons Lance had wanted to come here. He was one of the 500 lucky ones this year who’d been selected among thousands of applicants. He’d be getting a top notch education and he’d be going to school with aliens. Yes, aliens. With the space age booming just over a century earlier, humans had been able to make contact with other species in various parts of the known universe. As a result, their small planet at the edge of the Milky Way had become an intergalactic hub. Children of diplomats, royalty, and various others attended this school. The first two years focused heavily on academics with the final two years focusing on specializing in whatever field they desired to be in. He’d be mingling amongst them. If he did well enough here, his future was guaranteed. 

Even in the dark of the night out here in the middle of the desert, the campus managed to glow. Okay, so he wasn’t really going to do much exploring but apparently the roof was off-limits to students unless they were in a class that permitted them to be up there. If it was forbidden, Lance was all the more tempted. 

It was a clear, late summer night and the warm desert air greeted him as he stepped onto the roof. And the first thing to catch his eye was not the breathtaking view of the top of rock formations or the starry skies, but that he was not the only one up here. 

She was in her pajamas, sitting cross legged and peering through a telescope, a look of complete concentration on her face. 

The second thing to catch his eye was that she was pretty. Her light brown hair was up in a ponytail and her warm brown eyes were wide. Her beauty was only enhanced by the excitement and curiosity on her face. 

“You’re not supposed to be out here,” he said as he approached her, cutting through the silence of the night. 

She had been so lost in the stars that she hadn’t even noticed that she wasn’t alone up here and she jumped while squeaking softly. It was one of the cutest sounds Lance had ever heard. 

It took her a few seconds to regain her composure and when she did, she shot him a glare. He found himself flinching at how fierce it was. 

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to sneak up on people?” she asked. 

Lance shrugged, “Do it to my sister all the time, the reactions are hilarious.” 

“Yeah, well I’m not your sister, I could’ve actually taken an eye out if I’d wanted to,” she mumbled. 

He chuckled, “But you didn’t. Still, it got us talking, didn’t it?” 

At that, the girl looked up with an arched brow. The look of irritation on her face was gone but it was replaced with curiosity. Damn, there was that cute look on her face again. 

“What are you doing up here anyway, it’s way past curfew?” she asked, going back to her telescope. 

“I could ask you the same thing,” he questioned back. 

She huffed, “I just wanted some peace and quiet up here, you know? I know we’re not allowed up here but that never stops people. Also, it’s quite beautiful up here.” 

“Yeah and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars either,” he nodded. 

“Hmmm,” she hummed. “That’s probably because of the lack of light pollution, but I agree. I’ve never seen anything like it up here. My brother was right.” 

“I’m Lance, by the way,” he said, holding out his hand. She turned her head and looked at his hand before taking it. 

“Katie. But you can call me Pidge.” 

Lance bit back a laugh at the interesting nickname, “That’s...interesting.” 

At this, Pidge shrugged. 

“My brother called me that all the time as a kid and it stuck. I’m used to it more than I’m used to my real name in all honesty.” 

“Can I have a look?” Lance asked. 

Pidge nodded her head and moved aside. Making himself comfortable, Lance looked through the eyepiece, his breath hitched at just how much closer the stars seemed. Oh man, even the beaches he had grown up near couldn’t have compared. 

“Neat, isn’t it?” she said with a little cheer in her voice. 

“I…” for one of those rare moments in his life, Lance was actually for a loss of words. “Yeah…” 

At his complete inability to string together words, she laughed. It wasn’t a giggle, but an actual laugh. And it played in his ears like music. Was it possible for someone to have such a pretty laugh? 

“Really though, it’s really something. My vocabulary isn’t big enough to find a word for it, sorry,” he chuckled softly. 

“Yeah, I don’t think there’s quite a word for the stars, aside from hot and gassy maybe,” she joked. 

It was Lance’s turn to laugh. Smart, cute, and funny. As far as he could tell, she was perfect. He’d only known her five minutes, but he was sure that he wasn’t wrong…

* * *

 

Classes started without a hitch, the first years weren’t given their schedules until homeroom. Lance kept checking to see if he’d find Pidge in any of his classes and was slightly bummed with the starting of each class. 

“Looking for someone?” Hunk asked, approaching him during lunch. Lance guessed he wasn’t that subtle. 

“You could say that…” he responded, refusing to elaborate as they walked into the cafeteria. They had already seen the place during orientation but it was quite something to behold when it was full of students, humans and other species alike. There couldn’t have been more than 2,000 students at this school but all being in one room seemed like a lot to process. 

Unfortunately, it meant a longer line but it was worth it. The food was laid out like a buffet so they were free to grab whatever they wanted. Hunk piled on his plate while Lance grabbed a burger, some fries, a side salad, and an apple. 

Of course it’d be hard for them to find a place to sit. Upperclassman had taken most of the seats and Lance had to scan the room up to 10 times before seeing something. 

“We might have to go out into the halls-Lance?” Hunk started, only to see that his friend was distracted. 

“Come on,” he motioned and Hunk followed him. It was at the far corner of the cafeteria, but that’s not what caught Lance’s attention. It was the person. There, by herself, sat Pidge. This time her hair was down and she was in the Garrison’s uniform. She was looking down at a book, boredly flipping through the pages. Her lunch was somewhere to the side, forgotten. 

“Hey stranger,” Lance grinned as he and Hunk stopped right in front of her. 

She looked up, the boredom more than evident on her pretty features. “Hey.” 

The flatness of her tone didn’t bother him at all, “Need some company?” 

Pidge sighed as she closed the book and focused all of her attention on the boys in front of her. 

“My brother and a few of his friends are actually coming to join me, but you guys can sit here if you’d like,” she answered. 

“Aren’t you in my physics class?” Hunk asked once they had settled down. 

Pidge nodded, “Yeah I am. I already know the stuff that he’s lecturing on, so I’m bored already.” 

“Yeah, same,” Hunk agreed, nodding his head. 

A few minutes elapsed in silence as they ate. There really wasn’t much to talk about and Lance had to think for a few minutes to figure out what to talk about. 

“So, haven’t seen you around or on the roof since the first night,” Lance said. Pidge frowned. 

“Yeah, sadly I can’t sneak out every night,” she answered. And when she saw their bewildered faces, all she added was, “Don’t ask.” 

“Nah, it’s cool. That night was just fun,” Lance assured before taking another bite of his burger. 

“Woah, what night? You two know each other?” Hunk asked. 

“Yeah, we met on the roof the first night. She was stargazing and I was just exploring,” Lance smiled, remembering the night.

Hunk side-eyed him with a knowing look which he ignored. 

“Yeah, that sounds about right…” Hunk replied, munching away at his sandwich. 

“Pidge!” a voice called out, interrupting their conversation. The three turned to see a boy who looked exactly like Pidge, followed by four others. Lance’s mouth went dry as they approached. No way. 

“Wait...your brother is...Matt Holt?” he whispered incredulously. Okay he’d been stupid then because Pidge looked like a younger, feminine version of him. And he could feel his hands clam up as Takashi Shirogane, already legendary in his own right, walked behind him with a kind smile. Next to him was a boy Lance didn’t recognize. Lance’s stress levels reached an all time high when he saw who was behind him. The pointy ears and the white hair gave them away, but everyone already knew who Allura of Altea and Lotor of Daibazaal were. 

_ Act cool Lance, just act cool. You’ll be fine.  _

“Woah, you didn’t tell me that you’d already made friends,” Matt grinned, giving Lance and Hunk thoughtful smiles. 

Pidge just rolled her eyes, “Tall one’s Lance and other one is…” 

Her eyes went wide when she’d realized that she’d never gotten Hunk’s name. 

“Hunk,” he finished for her, giving her a small smile. 

The 5 of them settled down and from the corner of his eye, he could see the other students talking with their eyes on them. This was actually happening. 

“I’m Matt by the way,” he introduced, holding his hand out to both of them and they instantly took it. 

“This is Shiro.” 

“Hey,” and he likewise grabbed their hand and shook it. 

“The one next to him is Keith, he’s a first year like Pidge,” Matt went on. 

The boy stayed quiet but he did shake their hands. Lance tried his best not to ask what was up with him, figuring that he might be a little shy. 

“And last but not least, royalty themselves, His and Her Majesties, the Prince and Princess of-” Matt announced dramatically. 

“Oh Matt, knock it off, you’re going to scare them,” Allura scoffed, waving at him before smiling kindly at them. 

“He does that with everyone, don’t worry. I’m not too keen on going by my title if I can help it. Just call me Allura.” 

Too late to not worry, Lance just stood there and nodded his head like an idiot. 

“The same goes for me, I desire no special treatment. Just call me Lotor,” the one next to her said. 

Lotor looked almost completely Altean, minus the marks on his cheeks and his skin was purple. He had been told that the Prince was half Altean but had it not been for his skin, Lance really wouldn’t have been able to tell otherwise. 

“Yeah, I’m Lance. I’m also a first year. Hunk’s been my buddy since we were small,” Lance gave them all a smile, a little shaky. 

“Hey now, no need to be so nervous around the upperclassman, I promise we don’t bite,” Shiro assured, half in jest. 

“First day nerves is all,” Hunk answered, smiling at all of them. 

The chatter continued and they gradually made their way past the small talk, getting into their interests and what they’re aiming for. There were a lot of legendary pilots that came out of this school, but it wasn’t an easy thing to get into. You had to keep your grades up and there were numerous tests that one had to take in order to get into the program in their third year. Keith apparently had the same goal, from the few times that he chose to speak. Well, if he got into this school, he had to be something special. 

Lotor and Allura, being the heirs to their respective planets, were taking a different route. Political science and foreign relations, but with Allura’s warm nature and Lotor’s...way with words, they probably had it in the bag. 

Matt was studying to be an astrophysicist, which would require him to do additional schooling after graduation but he didn’t seem to mind it at all. Hunk had wanted to be an engineer, not surprising to anyone who knew him. He had always been a tinkerer of sorts. 

And when they finally got to Pidge, who’d been playing with her food, her answer was the most surprising of them all. 

“I want to be a pilot,” she answered. 

Everyone nodded thoughtfully but Lance really seemed to take an interest. 

“Oh no way? That’s cool! Hopefully we’ll be up in that program together in a couple of years!” 

She gave him a small smile as she took small bites. 

“By the way, I managed to convince the administration to lift the curfew over the weekends. So long as no one leaves campus or is caught doing anything against the rules. But please keep it in mind when I say ‘as long as no one is caught’ we’re all good,” Lotor announced quietly, smirking the whole time. 

Lance looked over at the man in reverence. Allura smiled at him softly. 

“I knew you could do it, love!” she leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. Oh, so they were an item apparently. How had Lance missed that?  

“Great, now we can actually sneak out since upperclassmen are already allowed to cut loose,” Matt grinned. 

“Well, so long as you’re not caught,” Shiro pointed out.  

“I mean, you get used to doing it, so I don’t think it really matters as long as you’re smart about it,” Lance explained. “I do it all of the time.” 

Matt narrowed his eyes at this, “Sneak out all the time, huh? Are you sure you’re going to be a good influence on my sister?” 

Pidge groaned, “Matt can you please...just...not?” 

Pidge’s response had been completely serious and all the smiles dropped as they looked at her. 

“Woah, okay, sorry Pidge. I was just kidding,” he said, holding his hands up. 

At this, the girl sighed. “Yeah, I know.” 

More would’ve been said if the bell didn’t ring at that precise second. Everyone just sighed, not wanting to go to class. Shiro definitely didn’t, but he was firm about no one missing their first day. Oh well, they could meet up again tomorrow, which they agreed to do. So far, the first day was going very well. 

Hunk and Lance splintered off in different directions after leaving the cafeteria but Lance saw that Pidge was walking in the same direction as him. 

“Pidge,” he called out and the girl turned her head and smiled. 

“English?” 

“Yeah, looks like we actually have a class together,” he replied, a little too enthusiastically. 

She didn’t seem to notice and if she did, she certainly didn’t mind. Well, maybe school wouldn’t be such a drag after all.

* * *

 

After the first week, Lance and anyone who’d been around him for more than thirty seconds could see that he was already crushing hard on Pidge. Hunk had teased him about it and after a few weeks of denying it, Lance actually conceded the fact. It seemed like everyone but Pidge was aware of the fact. Even Matt, whose attitude had gotten a little more serious towards him, but not so much that it actively made Lance uncomfortable. 

Lance just chalked it up to him being a protective big brother. He didn’t really blame him, he had a sister himself. Well, at least he wasn’t icing him out. 

Finally, on a Friday night, following their first midterm week, Lance was feeling restless. He thought that after a week of barely being able to sleep at all, it would be lights out the second that his head hit the pillow. Instead, he was staring up at the ceiling. Hunk was definitely out, his snores could probably be heard from the next room. Turning his head, he noticed that the night was clear. Of course it always was, but for some reason, tonight felt like the first. 

Before he knew it, his legs had carried him out the door, through the maze of halls, up a flight of stairs, and onto the roof. 

He scanned the rooftop and sure enough, she was there. Only instead of wearing pajamas, she wore a baggy shirt and some worn out sweatpants. She didn’t have her telescope on her, but she continued to look at the vastness of the sky. 

“Pidge,” he called out to her softly. This time she wasn’t startled because she didn’t even look.

He sat down next to her, their legs dangling off of the top of the building, but she still didn’t acknowledge his presence. 

“Yoohoo, Earth to Pidge?” Lance waved a hand in front of her, She blinked a few times before blinking, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment. 

“Oh Lance! Sorry, I was just…” she mumbled. 

“Lost in the stars?” he teased and she just nodded. “Yeah I feel that. For a second there I thought you were avoiding me.” 

“Yeah, sorry about that, this week’s felt like a century honestly,” she confessed. 

That was surprising. Pidge was an amazing student. She aced everything and even stuff she wasn’t particularly good at, she did pretty well in. He had been under the impression that she actually enjoyed school. 

“I feel that,” Lance said, deciding not to prod her on the subject. 

They continued to watch the stars in silence. It was peaceful and though they were out in the middle of the desert, a cold gust of wind blew past them. It was late autumn and even the desert’s temperature was dropping. 

There were some nights, not too many thankfully, where the stars were obscured by the clouds and those nights were always the most stressful for Lance. They soothed him and made his time away from home bearable. Even if he wasn’t physically with his family, he could take comfort that they were under the same sky. 

He wondered if Pidge was the same way. 

“Hey, Pidge?” he whispered softly. She turned her head to look at him. 

“Yeah?” she whispered. 

“Do you ever miss your family when you’re looking up at the sky?” he asked. 

She nodded, “All the time. At least I have my brother here though. Even if it is just for one year…” 

He nodded his head. She was like him, close to her family. Another thing that they shared in common. Though, everyone else probably shared that. But he would take what he could get with her. He felt lucky to be in her life. 

But she always looked a little sad, like there was something more going on her head that only she was privy to. She could laugh, but she had expressive eyes. There was always a hint of sadness in them. And if she wasn’t sad, she seemed lost somewhere in her own thoughts. Or she just sat around, bored out of her mind. 

“Are you okay, Pidge?” he finally asked. 

She didn’t answer that. She continued to gaze up at the sky and closed her eyes like he’d said nothing. After a few moments, she looked back at him with a smile. 

“Wanna go inside before we freeze our butts off?” she asked, chuckling in the process. 

“Never thought I’d say this while being in the middle of a desert, but yeah sure. I think I’ll be able to sleep now,” he responded, also laughing. 

Truth be told, he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay up here with her but she was probably getting tired. Still, he could stand to have a few more nights like this…

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for things to start unraveling though. As they got later into November, final exams would soon be upon them. Luckily, there were a few days off, but they were all most likely going to spend it studying. 

Pidge’s behavior was getting a little unusual as well. Her fuse was shorter and she was spending less time with him. They only exchanged a few words and if he tried to ask anything more, she’d start snapping at him. He figured that it was from stress but he’d look at her in class and she looked like she was on edge. She jumped when asked a question and she’d hurry out of class before he’d even had a chance to talk to her. And if she did have a good day, they still didn’t express words. She never really looked him in the eye either when she spoke to him. It was a little frustrating. 

The mistake came when he decided to speak to Matt about it. 

“She hasn’t really been herself,” he confessed. Matt’s eyes widened momentarily but he quickly snapped out of it. 

“What do you mean by that?” he asked. 

“She’s snapping at me a lot, if I say more than a few words at a time she gets annoyed, she barely answers my texts, and of course she doesn’t stay long for lunch,” he went on. 

Matt shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “Lance, listen. It’s just her first year here. She’s smart, but she’s never been away from home for more than a few days. The transition is a little rough for her.” 

Lance nodded, “Yeah, it’s just I wish she would actually just talk to me. She’s been so on edge lately…” 

“On edge?” Matt questioned, his tone was one of alarm. 

“Yeah, like she’s been jumpy and it’s like she can’t relax…” 

His brows came together, “Anything else?” 

At this Lance frowned, “You’re her brother, shouldn’t you know the answer to that?” 

Matt looked at him sadly, “I see her even less than you do, Lance. I’ve texted her to come hang out with me and Shiro a few times, but she never responds. I figured it’s just because she’s studying. And when she does, she just says she’s busy.” 

Okay, that was a new development. She had gotten close to Hunk as well, but even then she had been ghosting him.  She wasn’t as close to the other three either, so asking them wouldn’t make a difference. Yeah, something was definitely wrong. 

“I’ll talk to her,” Matt promised, standing up. 

Lance nodded his head, it was all he could reasonably ask. 

He thought that would be the end of it, that Pidge might start talking to them again, that she wouldn’t start yelling at them for no reason at all.

However, when he was walking through the halls on one particular night, he could hear arguing. They were obviously trying to keep it so that no one could hear them, but anyone walking by could easily hear them. 

“Pidge, can you please calm down? I’m just trying to help!” Matt’s voice pleaded, 

“By what? Telling me that going home might be for the better?” Pidge’s voice rang out, making Lance freeze in his tracks. 

“Maybe you’ll feel better! You’ve been avoiding us all, you’re not sleeping, you’re completely on edge! Are you even eating at all?” he asked, the desperation in his tone was more than evident. 

“I’m fine Matt! I’ve been busy!” she argued. 

“Stop saying that! You’re not fine!” 

Lance turned the corner and could see them in the center. Pidge’s face was contorted in anger and Matt was frowning, his arms in the air. He looked tired and exasperated. 

“Guys?” he questioned and immediately regretted it. Because the second Pidge looked right at him, she was more than a little mad. 

“YOU!” she yelled out, making Lance flinch. She’d never used that tone with him. Not even when she’d been snapping at him. What was happening? 

“Pidge?” he said, in the smallest voice. 

She stormed over to him, Matt following close behind. His expression imploring him to get out of there while he still could. He should have because when she was within arm’s reach, she shoved him. 

Lance’s brows furrowed, “Pidge, what the he-” 

“WHY CAN’T YOU JUST KEEP YOU STUPID MOUTH SHUT?” she roared. Lance’s eyes went wide, looking towards Matt, who looked equally as desperate. 

“Pidge I was just-” he tried but was cut off. 

“I’M FINE OKAY? I DON’T NEED YOU GETTING MY BROTHER TO CONVINCE MY PARENTS TO TAKE ME BACK HOME!” 

“But I wasn’t-” 

“YEAH WELL THAT’S WHAT’LL HAPPEN IF THEY THINK I CAN’T HANDLE IT!” 

Lance gave up trying to speak as she continued to yell all sorts of things at him. The whole time Matt was trying to calm her down only for her to shrug him off. 

“DO YOU EVEN CARE?” 

At that, Lance felt like he was slapped, “Yeah Pidge, I do! I care about you a lot! But I’m worried about you. Matt’s worried about you. So is everyone else! You haven’t been yourself.” 

She scoffed, “You don’t know me Lance. You’ve known me a few months and you act like you know everything about me. You don’t know anything. Mind your own business and stay out of mine!” 

She stormed off after that, before Lance could even stop her. Matt looked helpless, sad even, 

“Matt, what was that?” he asked, his voice small and cracking. 

Matt closed his eyes, “I don’t think she’s happy here, Lance. She insists that she is but she’s not. Maybe I should call my parents.” 

Lance shook his head, “Give me a week, Matt. If I can’t get through to her then, you can.” 

Matt looked at him, the sadness in his eyes more apparent than ever. There were things that he wasn’t sharing, though Lance could understand why. And judging from Pidge’s reaction, asking anything more would only send her into more rage. 

But he wanted to make things right with her. And more important, he just wanted her to stay. They’d all help her as much as they could, but first...he had to get through to her.

* * *

 

The week flew by and Pidge was avoiding everyone like the plague. She came to and from class, if she ate at all, she’d grab something quick and scurry off before any of them could try and talk to her.

And truth be told, every passing day had Lance feeling more and more disheartened. 

“I tried talking to her, tried to do a Girls Day, but she completely ignored me,” Allura sighed sadly at dinner one night. 

Lance’s stomach dropped at that. So it wasn’t just him, she seemed to be angry at everyone. For the crime of caring for her, which she apparently didn’t want. 

“I tried to see if she was up for video games or something, she brushed me off too,” Hunk added, his appetite apparently not stirring. 

“I would have talked to the school counselor, but all of you have forbade me from doing so,” Lotor reminded, but it was gentle. Everyone was sad. 

“Just give her space. If she doesn’t want to talk, you forcing her is only going to push her away further. Just leave her alone guys,” Keith interjected, a look of frustration painted on his features. 

“Keith’s right. All we’ll end up doing is scaring her off,” Shiro agreed. 

Lance knew that they were right, but the more time they wasted, the more Pidge was isolating herself. 

“Maybe not,” Lance mumbled and everyone turned to look at him. 

“Oh?” Allura inquired,edging forward. 

He didn’t elaborate but he looked at Lotor. 

“The parking garage is still open, right?” 

Lotor arched a brow, searching for clues on Lance’s face as to what he was up to. 

“That depends, why do you want to know?” he answered. 

Lance frowned. Sure being friends with the Student Body President had its perks, but even then Lotor didn’t allow them to do as they pleased because they were friends. It was annoying but at least he tried to be fair. 

“I just need an hour tonight. Just one hour,” he responded, hoping that Lotor would get it but it was Matt who answered. 

“You’re not taking my sister out into the middle of the desert.” 

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, “Listen, I would do it on the roof, but there’s a class up there tonight and…” 

“No! Listen I know what you’re trying to do here, but this is still my sister! And I know how you feel about her. We all do! You think I’m going to let you-” 

“You think I’m taking her out there to get some action? I’m actually offended. I just want to talk to her! If you don’t want me to take her for a quick ride fine, but I would never do anything to intentionally hurt her!” 

“Enough!” Shiro’s voice boomed. Lance immediately shut up to look at a clearly irritated Shiro. “We all want what’s best for Pidge, but maybe you should elaborate Lance. You can’t blame Matt for questioning you right now.” 

No, he really couldn’t. 

“There’s this place I found a while ago. You get an amazing view of the night sky and she always smiles when she’s looking up at them. Maybe it’ll help…” 

The table went quiet for a second. The three older boys looked at each other conflicted. On one hand, it could work. On the other hand, it was dangerous. 

But it was Keith who ended up tossing him a pair of keys. Everyone, Lance especially, just gawked at him. 

“You have an hour. And if anything happens to my bike, you’re paying for it,” he warned. Everyone just stared incredulously at him. 

“Didn’t you just say to leave her alone?” Lance asked, leaning back a little. 

“She might listen to you,” was his only explanation. 

Everyone who was about to protest instantly closed their mouths. 

But it was Matt’s approval that mattered. And it was an eternity before he  slowly nodded his head. There was no smile and the ice in his eyes made Lance back away. 

“If I hear that you tried anything…” he warned.

“You won’t. I promise. I’d never do anything to hurt her and I’m a man of my word,” he vowed. 

Matt nodded once and Lance exhaled. He only hoped that it would work.

* * *

 

Pidge wasn’t in her room, she definitely wasn’t on the roof, and she wasn’t in any study lounge either. Lance couldn’t help but chew his lip in frustration. So where was she? 

He wandered every hall that he could, knowing that the clock was working against him. But it was by sheer luck that he ran into her going down the one nearest her room. Her wet hair indicated that she had just gotten out of the shower. 

And when Lance looked at her, he inhaled sharply. Even though she seemed thinner and the rings around her eyes were prominent, she was still beautiful. And when she looked at him, there was not a hint of anger or irritation. It was just sadness. 

“Pidge…” he took one careful step forward. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked softly. She sounded exhausted. As if all the anger towards him had worn her out. 

“I needed to see you. I want to show you something, if you’ll let me. Please, we won’t be gone long,” he requested. 

She looked unsure. 

“Please Pidge, an hour tops,” this time he pleaded but his voice was so low that she almost hadn’t heard him. 

Slowly, she nodded her head. He gave her the smallest smile. She didn’t return it. 

She seemed oddly compliant when he led her down to the garage, when he hopped on the bike, and as they sped out into the desert. She clung onto him tight though and he did his best to hide his smile. He liked the feeling of her arms around him. It wasn’t even necessary to do on the bike. He knew Pidge knew that and chose to do it anyway. Maybe there was hope after all. 

The spot was only 15 minutes out from the Garrison, but Lance made it just under that. He was almost certain she would like it. 

When they had reached, she looked around in awe. It was the mouth of a giant cave. There were no other rock formations for miles, giving them a clear view of the sky. 

“Where are we?” she asked. 

Lance grinned, “I found this place a month or so ago when I snuck out. There’s a beautiful view of the sky, even more beautiful than the one from the roof of the Garrison.” 

There was an only shaped rock, perfect for sitting on at the mouth of the cave. It stood at 7 feet, meaning they’d have to climb. Pidge bit her lip at that. Lance could tell that she wasn’t quite sure about this. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” he assured her gently. “If you don’t want to climb we can sit at the base of it.” 

She agreed and he once again led her there, finally plopping down next to him. Lance could stare at the night sky forever, but he was looking at something even more beautiful. The way her eyes lit up when they looked up, there was nothing like it. The sadness was there, but wonder and admiration took their place. 

“You like it,” he said. It wasn’t a question. 

She didn’t look at him when she answered, “I do. You’re right, it’s a lot more beautiful than the one from the school.” 

He smiled, “I’m glad that I could show you. Sorry I didn’t tell you about it earlier.” 

She shook her head, finally tearing her eyes away from the view to look at him, “Don’t apologize. I should be the one apologizing. I’ve been horrible to you.” 

He didn’t say anything, he searched her face and it broke his heart to see the array of sadness and wariness in them. 

“I was just scared…” she answered sincerely. “I was scared of a lot of things. There’s a lot going on Lance, stuff that I can’t really share with you or anyone yet.” 

His eyes softened, reaching out to grab one of her hands. Relief washed over him when she clasped her fingers around his tightly. In that moment, he knew that this had gone well beyond a crush. In that moment, it just hit him. 

The months that he had spent watching her, talking to her, admiring her brains, staring into her eyes, and even arguing with her, he was realizing what had happened. 

He was undoubtedly, completely in love with her. He didn’t know everything about her. There was still much he didn’t know, but he wanted to. He wanted to know the good, the bad, and the ugly. But he would let her come to him, he wouldn’t push her. 

“You don’t have to be scared, Pidge. I’m not going to force you to say anything,” he assured her, using the pad of his thumb to stroke the back of her hand. 

She looked at him and there was another emotion in her eyes that he didn’t recognize. 

“I was so scared that when you told my brother, I would be gone. The logical part of my brain knew that there was no way that you would know what’s happening but the paranoid part thought that you wanted me gone. I-I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to lose you,” she confessed. 

Her eyes had started to water and a single tear slid down her cheek. It was a reflex that he reached up and wiped the tear away. He might’ve imagined that she had leaned into his touch. 

“You’re not going to lose me Pidge. You have me, I’m not going anywhere. That’s one promise I’m going to make to you that I won’t break,” he vowed. 

“I trust you,” she whispered and the sadness in her eyes completely vanished. Aside from that emotion he couldn’t recognize, there was a look of genuine gratitude. 

Lance didn’t know how it happened but in the next moment, their eyes locked onto each others. They still had their hands clasped together and Lance’s other hand rested on her cheek. Slowly they moved towards each other, like a magnet was pulling them close, and ever so softly, their lips met. 

It was the faintest of touches that lasted for the briefest of moments, but it somehow felt like an eternity. Even after they broke apart, they found their foreheads pressed against each other’s while their eyes slowly opened. In that moment, a stream of light zoomed across the sky just in side for them to see it.

“Woah was that...?” he exclaimed, his eyes going wide. 

Pidge nodded her head, “I think so.” 

“I’ve never seen one,” Lance confessed. 

“Me neither,” she responded. 

Lance turned back to look at her, a soft smile gracing his face. They could talk about it later. Lance wasn’t going to force her into anything and they would go at this at her comfort. 

“I’m glad I could share this with you. I’m thankful,” she admitted, the sweetest smile appearing on her lips. 

He stroked her cheek and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. 

“So am I, Pidge…” 

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is [anglmukhii](http://anglmukhii.tumblr.com/)! Once again I hope you enjoyed and kudos/comments would be much appreciated!


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